Amazon wants to show you how much you can rely on its Alexa voice assistant to control everything in your home, from thermostats to TVs.

Why? Are couch potatoes too lazy to pick up a TV remote? I haven't turned on a TV in many years, and I change my thermostat once every few years. What exactly would Alexa do for me that is worth any money at all?

6
posted on 05/10/2018 6:03:25 AM PDT
by Pollster1
("Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed")

I have a family member whose home is every close to this, due to her physical disability.
She asks it for information and conversation. Plays music, controls the TV.
She orders almost everything from it, whether it is meal kits or toilet paper or cat toys. (Can’t drive, can’t walk to store.)
When we go over, I take out the pile of Amazon boxes to the trash. I just wish we had a robot to clean up things like that, the litter box, the kitchen. Home helper does some cleaning, laundry, dishes but it really isn’t enough.
I would not have such a thing in my home due to the privacy. However, Amazon is positioning itself so that millions of elderly people like her can “age in place” and get what they need without driving. Except for driving her to the doctor and checking on service providers like tech support and the housecleaner, she is able to stay at home without family assistance.
And a crap load of her spending barring utilities and taxes goes through Amazon for that reason.

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